Class Rank

CLASS RANKAll high school credit grades earned in grades 8-11 and the first semester of the 12th grade year shall count toward the student’s grade point average and class ranking. However, effective with the 2018-19 school year, grades earned in virtual courses outside the school day shall not be counted towards class ranking. The final semester shall not be used in determining class ranking for any student. To become Valedictorian or Salutatorian, a student must be enrolled at AHS the three (3) consecutive
semesters preceding the final semester of the 12th grade year.

Effective with the graduating class of 2022, a laude system, rather than a class ranking system, will be
used to delineate three categories of High Academic Distinction, for 12th grade graduating students. The categories shall be determined by cumulative grade point average. All high school credit grades earned
in grades 8-11 and the first semester of the 12th grade year will be counted toward the student’s grade
point average. The final semester of the 12th grade year shall not be taken into account when determining the grade point average.

Effective with the graduating class of 2022, the Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be selected from among those students within the Summa Cum Laude category of High Academic Distinction. The criterion used for selection shall be determined by the ACS Director of Academics and made available to the students and the parents by no later than the commencement of the 2018-19 school year.

ACS Policy 4.605
This policy references a matrix to select the valedictorian & salutatorian that will be defined & shared with all stakeholders before the beginning of the 2018-19 school year.The matrix will include the following categories:

Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA)

Highest ACT Score

Number of AP Courses Completed

Cumulative of AP Exam Scores

# of Dual Enrollment/Duel Credit classes completed

Total # of college hours received

All of these categories are tied closely with the TDOE focus of ACT & Early Post Secondary Opportunities. By looking at other academic areas besides the weighted GPA only, the valedictorian and salutatorian will be more academically well rounded by adding other measures of importance.

1st Example of the Matrix

2nd Example of the Matrix

Notice that even though the 1st student had a higher weighted GPA he was not the valedictorian because the 2nd student had a higher total of all of the categories added up.